The present invention relates to a device for the conditioning of fodder, comprising a predetermined number of electrodes connected to an electrical control system and capable of creating a field of sparks and/or electric discharges through which the fodder passes.
Such a known device will, thanks to the electric sparks and/or electric discharges, condition the fodder with a view to reducing the duration of the drying period.
The advantage of this device vis-a-vis the devices known heretofore resides in the fact that the fodder is treated in a more gentle manner. For this reason, the losses in nutritive materials are less.
The systems for controlling the different electrodes which have been employed heretofore to equip the known conditioning device physically comprise a large range of devices. This substantially increases the price of the prior art conditioning device.
In addition, these systems include a large number of mechanical components which can lead to problems in reliability.
The object of the present invention is to equip such a conditioning device with a control system that is dependable while being less costly than prior art systems.
Accordingly, the control system of the present invention supplies at any given moment to at least one group of electrodes connected in parallel the voltage necessary to produce a spark or an electrical discharge, at least one of these electrodes producing a spark or an electrical discharge.
With the control system of the present invention, one significantly reduces the quantity of the means necessary to control the electrodes and one suppresses particularly the mechanical parts that are needed to control the electrodes, thus achieving the desired objects.
According to an additional feature of the invention, the control system supplies several times per period, to at least one group of electrodes connected in parallel, the voltage needed to produce a spark or an electric discharge.
This group of electrodes connected in parallel is thus subjected a substantial number of times to the voltage needed to produce a spark or an electric discharge. The spark or electric discharge originates in that electrode in the group which at the time the voltage is applied offers the least resistance to the mentioned spark or electric discharge.
As a whole, one obtains a good conditioning of the fodder.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be made clear by the following description of a preferred embodiment which has been illustrated in the drawing. However said preferred embodiment is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.